About Firebuy » The National Procurement Strategy.
The final version of the National Procurement Strategy for the Fire & Rescue Service (FRS) was launched by Phil Woolas MP in his opening speech at the Fire Conference in November 2005. It is aimed at fire-specific spend, focusing particularly on encouraging:
» Strategic coordination of procurement to support the key aims and objectives of the Fire & Rescue Service
» Standardisation of output specifications
» Coordination of FRS technical services
» Market development to ensure suppliers provide the equipment and services that meet the needs of the FRS
» Active management of the supply base
» Efficiency gains and quality improvement.
The plan for a central procurement organisation was a major part of the strategy. This body, known as Firebuy, was established by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) now known as the Department for Communities & Local Government and is a Non Departmental Public Body, launched in April 2006 to deliver the national procurement projects and processes listed in the document.
ODPM appointed a Chair and six Directors to the Firebuy Board and to ensure that FRAs, professional officers and local government representatives have a high level of input into Firebuy’s management, three ‘ex officio’ Directors from the Local Government Association (LGA), the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and the London Fire & Emergency Planning Association (LFEPA) were also appointed to the Board.
Terry Brewer is Chief Executive of Firebuy and reports to the Board for all policy matters and matters requiring decision. He leads Workstreams working on three specific procurement areas – the Integrated Clothing Project, Vehicles & Emergency Response Equipment and Procurement Delivery. These are headed up by the three Workstream Directors - Steve Taylor, Graham Maltby and Michelle Van Toop respectively. In addition a Technical Services Workstream has been set up to rationalise the resources FRAs deploy in undertaking research and development.
Firebuy works closely with the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) which through the National Procurement Board acts as the ‘intelligent client’ to Firebuy. CFOA representatives chair Project Boards for key national procurement projects such as the RPE Project.
Firebuy will enable savings to be made by negotiating better deals for buying in bulk and will eliminate the duplication of procurement exercises in the English Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs). So rather than all 47 FRAs negotiating separately for service specific items such as vehicles, protective clothing and respiratory equipment, Firebuy negotiate contracts on behalf of FRAs and takes the lead in subsequent contract monitoring and service level monitoring.
The staff in Firebuy includes procurement experts, seconded serving fire officers and a small team of administrators.
The DCLG website at www.communities.gov.uk contains copies of the National Procurement Strategy.
The CFOA website gives further information on the Fire & Rescue Service at www.cfoa.org.uk
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